Improvement in hat-blocking machines



CHARLES H. BERRY.

Improvement in Hat BockingMachines,- 'IF-9941.

Patented Nov. 7, 1871..

UNITED S'IA'IES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BERRY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT-BLOCKING MACHINES.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAELEs H. BERRY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hat-Blocking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure l represents a vertical central section of this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates, strictly, to blocking hats-that is, to the operation of forming a hat over a block previous to pressing the same. The apparatus which I use for the purpose of blocking hats consists of a steam-heated block, so that the hat, which must be moistened before it is placed on the block, will become dry while being in contact with the said block during and after the operation of blocking. It consists, further, of a heating-chamber, in combination with a hollow block, for the purpose of heating said block; further, in the combination of a perforated holi low block with the heating-chamber, and with a steampipe or coil situated in the space beneath the perforated hollow block in such a manner that when a hat is placed on the perforated block it can be rapidly heated and moistened by admitting steam into the space beneath the said perforated block and after the hat has been formed or blocked it is readily dried bythe heat radiating from the heating-chamber. The crown of the perforated block is made detached from the brim, so that it can be removed and replaced by another of different form or shape.

In the drawing, A designates a block for blocking hats, which is made of sheet metal or any other suitable material, and which is heated by means of a steam-pipe, a, situated beneath it. By admitting steam to this steam-pipe the temperature of the block A can be maintained at the desired point, and the operation of blocking is materially facilitated. The operation of blocking hats may, however, be still further facilitated by combining with the block A a heating-chamber, B, which can be heated by means of a steam-pipe, b. The block A, which is placed on the heating-chamber, iskeptreadily at thetemperature which is most advantageous for blocking hats. In this case the steam-pipe a may be dispensed with. The block A is, by preference, made hollow and perforated with a large number of holes, so that the steam admitted through the pipe c will issue from said holes and meisten the hat placed on the block. The steam admitted through the pipe a may be of a low pressure, (not more than five or six pounds to the square inch,) and after the hat has been brought to the required form or shape the steam-pipe a is closed, and the heat radiating from the chamber B serves to dry the hat in a short time. The pipe b, which admits steam to the heating-chamber B, is provided with an inner tube, c, which serves to carry olf the steam; and by these means the chamber B can be readily heated Without producing much (if any) condensation in said chamber.

In places where a steam-engine is used the steam-pipe a can be fed with steam from the eX- haust of the engine, the exliaust steam being conducted into a receiver, in which the pressure is not allowed to exceed live or six pounds to the square inch 5 but if there is no steam-engine the receiver can be supplied with steam from a generator or boiler, care being taken .to keep the pressure in said receiver down to the desired point. The pipe a may also be supplied with steam from the chamber B, while the steam for heating this chamber may be taken directly from a boiler.

The crown G of the block A is made detachable, and it is held in place by a screw, c, so that it can be taken olf and replaced by another of different shape without disturbing the brim of the block.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. The hollow perforated block A, heated by steam, as and for the purpose described, in combination with the heating-chamber B, when con* structed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the heating-chamber B with the perforated hollow block A and its steampipe a, substantially as set forth.

3. The arrangement of a detachable crown, C, on the hollow blockA, substantially as described.

This specication signed by me this 18th day of July, 1871.

(3H. H. BERRY.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KAsTENEUBER. (76) 

